Words and Music 2010
Words & Music in Tough Times
With the support of the Province of British Columbia and the Hamber Foundation, Poetry Gabriola launched a new concert series called Words & Music. This series consisted of four concerts featuring innovative, diverse musicians and ensembles at their very, very best.
In acknowledgement of the tough times we are weathering, Poetry Gabriola offered each of these concerts for the low ticket price of $20. We hope you will support this series, and join us in the belief that the show must go on.
All Concerts at the Haven, Phoenix Auditorium
May 22
Celso Machado
Is Celso Machado a musician or a magician? Perhaps he's both. As a guitarist, he's an exceptional and idiosyncratic exponent of the Afro-Brazilian tradition that has produced such similarly gifted artists as Bola Sete, Egberto Gismonti, and Celso's occasional collaborators Sergio and Odair Assad. On percussion, he's uniquely able to conjure up the sounds of the rainforest, leading his listeners into its enchanted depths through hypnotic rhythms and bird-call sound effects. This eclectic multi-instrumentalist has been a Canadian resident since 1989, but he's really a citizen of the world.
Only $20.00 * The Phoenix Auditorium at the Haven *Travel info
April 17
The NOW Orchestra with Kedrick James
Improvisation and collaboration are among the words that best define Vancouver's NOW Orchestra, a "little big band" that takes a decidedly 21st-century approach to jazz.
This is an ensemble that can go outside with aplomb, but which also retains a high regard for musical form; international luminaries George Lewis, Marilyn Crispell, and Barry Guy are among the many who have written for the band. In its current incarnation, under the direction of saxophonist Coat Cooke, the group has expanded its palette to include rock, funk, and literary performance; for its Gabriola appearance it will be joined by incendiary poet Kedrick James, whose extravagant celebrations of nature and the supernatural are a perfect match for NOW's extrovert style.
Only $20.00 * The Phoenix Auditorium at the Haven * Travel info
Veda Hille and Her Band
Do You Want What I Have Got?
A smash hit at the 2009 PUSH festival in Vancouver, this "Craigslist Cantata" is a collaboration between composer Veda Hille and librettist Bill Richardson. It's also based on real online ad postings, such as "I have a backhoe that needs minor fixing", "sluts for lease", and "I have a willing PC". Veda plays the piano and sings, with bandmates Ford Pier, Patsy Klein, Barry Mirochnick, and Sam Newton stepping up to the microphone to play various buyers and sellers in this series of poignant and hilarious vignettes. The cantata will be followed by a set of tunes from Veda's latest release, This Riot Life—an art-rock masterpiece that runs the gamut from cabaret numbers set in a Japanese bathhouse to a stunning remake of Paul Hindemith's "The Moon".
Only $20.00 * The Phoenix Auditorium at the Haven * Travel info
February 19
Red Chamber
One of the leading Chinese string ensembles in North America—or anywhere, really—Red Chamber is marked by serious scholarship and an equally intense sense of joie de vivre. Led by Vancouver resident Mei Han—a virtuosic performer on the harp-like zheng and an authority on early Taoist music—the group also includes Guilian Liu, Zhimin Yu, and Geling Jiang on an assortment of plucked string instruments including the pipa, ruan, and sanxian. Together, their repertoire spans centuries, encompassing transcriptions from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), modern compositions that reflect China's ancient heritage, and new cross-cultural forms that touch on bluegrass and jazz. The four members of Red Chamber play historic instruments, but their approach is contemporary—and captivating.
Only $20.00 * The Phoenix Auditorium at the Haven * Travel info
April 17
The NOW Orchestra with Kedrick James
Improvisation and collaboration are among the words that best define Vancouver's NOW Orchestra, a "little big band" that takes a decidedly 21st-century approach to jazz.
This is an ensemble that can go outside with aplomb, but which also retains a high regard for musical form; international luminaries George Lewis, Marilyn Crispell, and Barry Guy are among the many who have written for the band. In its current incarnation, under the direction of saxophonist Coat Cooke, the group has expanded its palette to include rock, funk, and literary performance; for its Gabriola appearance it will be joined by incendiary poet Kedrick James, whose extravagant celebrations of nature and the supernatural are a perfect match for NOW's extrovert style.
Only $20.00 * The Phoenix Auditorium at the Haven * Travel info
